Monthly Archives: September 2012

This week’s cover is from Avon’s early run of science fiction novels. An Earth Man on Venus by Ralph M. Farley was originally published in the 1930s in the pulp magazines as “The Radio Man.” In Avon’s 1950 rendition, the “Kewpie-Doll Princess” was given some rather interesting treatment. The plot seems very derivative of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first Martian novel. Here’s the back cover:

Up this week is Border Town by Carroll Graham, published by Dell in 1952. This paperback reprints the first Vanguard edition published in the 1930s. Along with his brother, Garrett, the author is better known for having co-written Queer People, one of the most famous novels about Hollywood. In this book, Graham provides readers with a Latino character trying to build his reputation and empire on both sides of the California/Mexico border. This book was the basis for a film of the same name starring Bette Davis and Paul Muni.

Before he was writing I Am Legend or Somewhere in Time, Richard Matheson wrote some hardboiled pulp mysteries. This one, Someone Is Bleeding, was his first. Published by Lion in 1953, it’s the story of a femme fatale and a guy who gets mixed up with her. You’ve also got an icepick involved and some men (pigs! according to the cover) who meet a grisly end.

My urban fantasy novella, Dead Man’s Hand, is available as a free download for the rest of the day–today, September 4th.

Zombies, werewolves, vampires, rival Bowie tribute bands, and conjoined twin mobsters…it’s all in a day’s work for Ace Stubble, a gritty lawyer whose clients are the undead and paranormal. Feeling a bit worn out, Ace just wants a vacation. But when a cute hacker with a big problem talks Ace into helping her out, he decides to call in some favors and be the good guy. It’s not long before he’s in deep trouble, and it’s going to take more than smooth talk and quick wits if he wants to get out of this bind in one piece.

This week’s cover is from the Lion paperback edition of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, published in 1950. Lion #14. Cover art by Herman Bischoff. This is one of the stranger covers in this genre, as Jackson’s title story is rather horrific, and even though we get silhouettes of the story’s aggressors and some flying stones as well, we also get the “sexy” Tessie Hutchinson who’s having trouble keeping her clothes on. An odd example, and rather collectible as a result.